City of Seattle

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONSConsultant Contract

Recreation Facilities and ProgrammingStrategic Plan 2040

Procurement ScheduleTable 1: RFP Process Schedule

Task Date/Time LocationSolicitation Release 09/05/2017 – 4:30 PM Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (DJC)

City of Seattle, The Consultant Connectionhttp://consultants.seattle.gov/

Pre-Submittal Conference – Optional 09/19/2017 – 2:00 PM Seattle Parks and RecreationPark Planning and Development Division800 Maynard Avenue S., 3rd Floor, Room 3CSeattle, WA 98134-1336

Deadline for Questions 09/26/2017 – 4:30 PM kevin.bergsrud@seattle.gov

RFP Submittal Deadline 10/04/2017 – 12:00 PM (Noon PDT)

Seattle Parks and RecreationATTN: Kevin BergsrudPark Planning and Development Division800 Maynard Avenue S., 3rd FloorSeattle, WA 98134-1336

Interviews 10/18 – 10/19/2017 To Be Determined

Consultant Selection 10/23/2017

Announcement Consultant Selection 10/26/2017

Negotiation Schedule – Anticipated 11/02 – 11/14/2017

Contract Execution - Anticipated 12/15/2017

The City reserves the right to modify this.Changes will be posted on the City website or as otherwise stated.

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Procurement Contact InformationProcurement Contact: Kevin Bergsrud, Senior Planning and Development Specialist

e-mail: kevin.bergsrud@seattle.gov

Unless authorized by the Project Manager, no other City official or employee may speak for the City regarding this solicitation until award is complete. Any Proposer contacting other City officials or employees does so at Proposer’s own risk. The City is not bound by such information.

Table 2: Delivery Address

Fed Ex & Hand Delivery - Physical Address

US Post Office - Mailing Address

Seattle Parks and RecreationATTN: Kevin BergsrudPlanning and Development Division800 Maynard Avenue South, 3rd FloorSeattle, Washington, 98104

Seattle Parks and RecreationATTN: Kevin BergsrudPlanning and Development Division800 Maynard Avenue South, 3rd FloorSeattle, Washington, 98104

Unless authorized by the Procurement Contact, no other City official or employee may speak for the City regarding this solicitation until award is complete. Any Proposer contacting other City officials or employees does so at Proposer’s own risk. The City is not bound by such information.

Table of Contents

1. Purpose and Background........................................................................................................................................................32. Performance Schedule..............................................................................................................................................................33. Solicitation Objectives..............................................................................................................................................................34. Minimum Qualifications..........................................................................................................................................................45. Scope of Work.............................................................................................................................................................................. 46. Contract Modifications............................................................................................................................................................. 67. Procedures and Requirements.............................................................................................................................................68. Response Materials and Submittal...................................................................................................................................139. Selection Process......................................................................................................................................................................1510. Award and Contract Execution..........................................................................................................................................16

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1. Purpose and Background.Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is seeking a consultant or a lead consultant and team to develop both a near-term plan and a long-term strategic plan for recreational facilities based on existing or desired new programming.

The consultant or lead consultant and team will conduct inventories of existing facility conditions and capacities relative to recreation program and programming, non-SPR recreation programming and facilities, and an in-depth statistically valid resident survey to identify existing program participation and desired future programs and programming. SPR staff and public involvement will be a key element to identify both future programs and programming. This information will be synthetized to identify near-term programming and facilities for an upcoming 6-year funding period; and to develop three scenarios which identify future programs programming and facilities for a year 2040 planning horizon.

2. Performance Schedule.This project will start in January 2018 and is anticipated to be completed by December 2018.

Deliverables include: Recreation Facilities and Programming Strategic Plan 2040, including Recreation

Facilities and Programming Plan 2018-2024

Recreation Facilities and Programming Prioritization and Finance Plan 2040

Joint Athletic Facilities Development Program 2018

3. Solicitation Objectives.The City expects to achieve the following outcomes through this consultant solicitation:Development of a near-term plan and a long-term strategic plan which analyzes existing recreation facilities, programs and programming, identifies resident recreation participation and needs through a statistically valid survey, compare recreation needs to facility conditions and capacities; develop near-term 6-year facility priorities based on recreation programming, three scenarios to a 2040 horizon year for future programming and facilities based on various factors, develop a long-term prioritization and financing plan for constructing additional capacity or facilities based on the scenarios.

The successful consultant or lead consultant and team must demonstrate experience in:

developing long-term strategic plans for large urban park systems.

developing plans which meet Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) Standards for National Accreditation.

evaluating recreation facility conditions and capacities.

evaluating recreation programs and programming.

developing and conducting in-depth, statistically valid resident surveys.

conducting public outreach to underserved populations, new residents, populations by generations (e.g., Millennials, Boomers, etc.).

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conducting focus groups with SPR staff, recreation groups and non-parks organizations.

developing future recreation program and programming, and facility scenarios based on variables ranging from population and demographic projections, land use, recreation and leisure time trends, climate and climate change, housing types and affordability, main employment sectors, etc.

developing long-term prioritization and financing plans.

4. Minimum Qualifications.Minimum qualifications are required for the Consultant or Lead Consultant and Team to be eligible to submit a proposal. Your submittal must show compliance to these minimum qualifications. Those that are not responsive to these qualifications shall be rejected by the City without further consideration. The consultant or lead consultant and team must:

Have a local office within 60 miles of the greater Seattle area.

Have or can obtain (prior to contract execution) a valid Washington state and City of Seattle business license, and register with the Washington Secretary of State Corporation Division. See sections 7.11 License and Business Tax Requirements.

Meet the City of Seattle consultant insurance requirements, per Section 7.27, Insurance Requirements and Section 10.7, Award and Contract Execution.

Include on the team a licensed landscape architect, architect and/or engineer registered in the State of Washington.

5. Scope of Work. A. Inventory: Programming, Facilities, Planning Contexts, Recreation TrendsFacilities Conditions and Capacities Inventory. Inventory SPR facilities and assess physical conditions

and capacities. Program and Programming Inventory. Inventory SPR-provided recreation programs and programming hours, types, participation. Identify recreation programs and programming provided by non-profit organizations and for profit organizations which are similar to those offered by SPR. Identify existing recreational program or facility partnerships.

Athletic Facilities Inventory. Inventory athletic facilities owned by SPR, Seattle Public Schools (SPS), private primary and secondary schools; colleges and universities. Assess physical conditions of SPR facilities which are jointly used by SPR and SPS. Review SPR, SPR capital improvement plans to identify potential athletic facility and field and development sites. Inventory athletic facility usage for a past six-year period, including Joint Athletic Facility Program (JAFP) use, resident versus non-resident use. If possible identity training or competition levels (co-rec versus select clubs use).

Planning Contexts Review. Review existing SPR plans, studies, surveys, and programs; and plans, surveys, etc. developed by relevant recreation agencies and city departments (SDCI, OPCD, SDOT, Washington state RCO).

Recreation Trends Identification. Identify benchmark cities relative to types of programming offered, programming hours per capita, facilities per capita, etc. Identify national leisure and health trends, including lifetime recreation, team sports and recreation participation, based on Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) data, US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, etc. Identify Seattle leisure and health trends, including sports and recreation participation as available from various sources, including focus groups.

B. Public Involvement

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Resident Survey of Recreation Programs and Programming. Conduct in-depth, statistically valid resident survey to identify SPR program and programming use and frequency, program quality, and participation. Structure survey with questions that can be used in future annual resident surveys, measuring participation, needs, satisfaction.

Focus Groups. Conduct focus groups with SPR recreation program units, institutional providers such as YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, Seattle Youth Soccer Association (SYSA), select generational groups (e.g. Millennials, Boomers), and others. Identify existing strengths and opportunities. Identify future recreation trends and potential partnerships.

Public Presentations. Conduct three to four public presentations, giving project updates and soliciting comments at different locations within the city. One presentation will outline the various scenarios for the year 2040 planning horizon. Conduct three to four presentations to the Board of Park Commissioners, giving project updates and soliciting comments. Conduct presentations to SPR recreation program units and other units as necessary.

Project Identity. Develop graphics to guide project promotion and public awareness of the planning effort and encourage participation in an in-depth resident survey.

C. AnalysisSynthesize collected information and data on programming, facility use, trends and demand; athletic

facility and other facility usage by SPR, SPS and other organizations.Synthesize facilities condition assessments, and identify opportunities, constraints, needs.Identify opportunities, service area needs for programming and facilities, leased buildings, athletic

facilities jointly used by SPR and SPS. Identify options for constructing future athletic facilities.Identify opportunities for future revenue sources (e.g., pay-as-you-go, partnerships, non-resident fees,

etc.) and budgets.Identify capital investment priorities.Summarize feedback from public presentations, city staff meetings, and interviews.

D. Identify Future Facility Needs and Desired ProgrammingIdentify near term facility improvements which provide capacities for desired programming. Include

needs for the following facilities: Athletic Facilities and Fields; Community Centers; Pre-Schools, Teen Life Centers, Lifetime Learning Centers, Environmental Learning Centers, Pools, Golf Courses, Boat Launches, and other facilities as identified by SPR.

Develop three scenarios identifying facility size and/or capacities to meet future programs and programming. The Plan may include adaptive reuse or repurposing of facilities based on future recreation trends and/or capital needs. Identify long-term improvements to a 2040 horizon year based upon resident survey results (participation, desired future programs, increasing or decreasing programming), population and recreation trends.

Identify alternative methods for developing recreation facilities, public-private partnerships, joint use of buildings, adaptive reuse or repurposing of underutilized recreation facilities, etc.

Identify race and social equity relative to future programs and programming, and facilities, and define approaches to increase race and social equity.

E. RecommendationsDevelop policy alternatives relative to future programs, programming and facilities. Identify core

facilities, their distribution and equitable access.Develop action steps for the Prioritization and Finance Plan.

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F. Deliverables Final Recreation Services & Facilities Strategic Plan 2040 (Including Recreation Facilities

and Programming Plan 2018-2024) Prioritization and Finance Plan 2040 Joint Athletic Facility Development Program Update 2018

6. Contract Modifications.The City consultant contract is attached (See Section 10.8).

The City has attached its boilerplate contract terms so Proposers can be familiar with the boilerplate and the non-negotiable terms before submitting a proposal. Any questions about the City’s boilerplate should be made in advance of submittal.

If a Consultant seeks to modify the Contract, the Consultant must request that within their Proposal response as taking an “Exception”. The Consultant must provide a revised version that shows their proposed alternative contract language. The City is not obligated to accept such proposed changes. If you request Exceptions that materially change the character of the contract, the City may reject the Consultant’s Proposal as non-responsive. The City cannot modify provisions mandated by Federal, State or City law: Equal Benefits, Audit (Review of Vendor Records), WMBE, Confidentiality, and Debarment, or mutual indemnification. Such Exceptions would be summarily disregarded.

Although the City may open discussions with the highest ranked apparent successful Proposer to align the proposal or contract to best meet City needs, this does not ensure negotiation of modifications proposed by the consultant through the exception process above.

7. Procedures and Requirements.This section details City instructions and requirements for your submittal. The City reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject any Consultant response that fails to comply with the instructions.

7.1 Registration into the Online Business Directory

If you have not previously done so, register at: http://www.seattle.gov/obd The City expects all firms to register. Women- and minority- owned firms are asked to self-identify (see section 7.25). For assistance, call Julie Salinas at 206-684-0383.

7.2 Pre-Submittal Conference

The City offers an optional pre-submittal conference at the time, date and location on page 1. Proposers are highly encouraged to attend but not required to attend to be eligible to propose. The meeting answers questions about the solicitation and clarify issues. This also allows Proposers to raise concerns. Failure to raise concerns over any issues at this opportunity will be a consideration in any protest filed regarding such items known as of this pre-proposal conference.

7.3 Questions.

Proposers may email questions to the Procurement Contact until the deadline stated on page 1. The City prefers questions be sent via e-mail to the Procurement Contact. Failure to request clarification of any inadequacy, omission, or conflict will not relieve the Consultant of responsibilities under any subsequent contract. It is the responsibility of the interested Consultant to assure they receive responses to Questions if any are issued.

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7.4 Changes to the RFPThe City may make changes to this RFP if, in the sole judgment of the City, the change will not compromise the City’s objectives in this solicitation. Any change to this RFP will be made by formal written addendum issued by the City’s Project Manager and shall become part of this RFP.

7.5 Receiving Addenda and/or Question and Answers.

It is the obligation and responsibility of the Consultant to learn of addenda, responses, or notices issued by the City. Some third-party services independently post City of Seattle solicitations on their websites. The City does not guarantee that such services have accurately provided all the information published by the City.

All submittals sent to the City may be considered compliant with or without specific confirmation from the Consultant that any and all addenda was received and incorporated into your response. However, the Project Manager reserves the right to reject any submittal that does not fully incorporate Addenda that is critical to the project.

7.6 Proposal Submittal.

Proposals must be received by the City no later than the date and time on page 1 except as revised by Addenda. a. All pages are to be numbered sequentially, and closely follow the requested formats.b. The City does have a page limit as specified in the Response Format Section 8. Any pages that exceed the page limit will be excised from the document for purposes of evaluation. c. The submitter has full responsibility to ensure the response arrives at the City within the deadline. A response delivered after the deadline may be rejected unless waived as immaterial by the City given specific fact-based circumstances.

7.7 Hard Copy Submittal.

Delivery is to the location specified on Page 2, Table 2.

Submit one (1) original unbound, (6) bound copies, and one (1) electronic CD copy of the response. The City will not accept Fax and CD copies as originals in lieu of paper or electronic e-mail copy submittals. If a CD or fax version is delivered to the City, the paper or electronic e-mail copy will still be the only official version accepted by the City.

a. Hard-copy responses should be in a sealed box or envelope, clearly marked and addressed with the City contact person’s name, the solicitation title and number. If submittals are not clearly marked, the Proposer risks the response being misplaced and not properly delivered or date/time stamped. b. The Submittal may be hand-delivered or otherwise be received by the Procurement Contact at the address provided, by the submittal deadline. Delivery errors will result without careful attention to the proper address.c. Do not use plastic or vinyl binders or folders. The City encourages you to use fully 100% recycled stock.

7.8 Electronic Submittal.

The City allows and will accept an electronic submittal in lieu of an official paper submittal. a. The electronic submittal is e-mailed to the Procurement Contact (see page 2), by the submittal deadline (Procurement Schedule, Table 1, Page 1 or as otherwise amended). b. Title the e-mail, “Recreation Facilities & Programming Strategic Plan Proposal”, so it won’t be lost in an e-mail stream. c. Any risks associated with an electronic submittal are borne by the Proposer.

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d. The City’s e-mail system will typically allow documents up to 20 Megabytes. e. If the Proposer also submits a hard-copy, the hard copy has precedence.

7.9 Proposer Responsibility to Provide Full Response.

It is the Proposer’s responsibility to respond in a manner that does not require interpretation or clarification by the City. The Proposer is to provide all requested materials, forms and information. The Proposer is to ensure the materials submitted properly and accurately reflect the Proposer’s offering. During scoring and evaluation (prior to interviews if any), the City will rely upon the submitted materials and shall not accept materials from the Proposer after the RFP deadline; this does not limit the City’s right to consider additional information (such as references that are not provided by the Proposer but are known to the City, or past City experience with the consultant), or to seek clarifications as needed.

7.10 Prohibited Contacts.

Proposers shall not interfere in any way to discourage other potential and/or prospective proposers from proposing or considering a proposal process. Prohibited contacts includes but is not limited to any contact, whether direct or indirect (i.e. in writing, by phone, email or other, and by the Proposer or another person acting on behalf of the Proposer) to a likely firm or individual that may discourage or limit competition.  If such activity is evidenced to the satisfaction and in sole discretion of the City department, the Proposer that initiates such contacts may be rejected from the process.

7.11 License and Business Tax Requirements.The Consultant must meet all applicable licensing requirements immediately after contract award or the City may reject the Consultant. Companies must license, report and pay revenue taxes for the Washington State Business License (UBI#) and Seattle Business License, if required by law. Carefully consider those costs before submitting an offer, as the City will not separately pay or reimburse such costs.

Seattle Business Licensing and Associated Taxes.a. If you have a “physical nexus” in the city, you must obtain a Seattle Business license and pay all taxes due before the Contract can be signed. b. A “physical nexus” means you have physical presence, such as: a building/facility/employee(s) in Seattle, you make sales trips into Seattle, your own company drives into Seattle for product deliveries, and/or you conduct service work in Seattle (repair, installation, service, maintenance work, on-site consulting, etc.). c. We provide a Consultant Questionnaire Form in our submittal package items later in this RFP, and it will ask you to specify if you have “physical nexus”.d. All costs for any licenses, permits and Seattle Business License taxes owed shall be borne by the Consultant and not charged separately to the City. e. The apparent successful Consultant(s) must immediately obtain the license and ensure all City taxes are current, unless exempted by City Code due to reasons such as no physical nexus. Failure to do so will cause rejection of the submittal. f. The City of Seattle Application for a Business License can be found here:

http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/FAS/Licensing/Seattle-business-license-application.pdf

g. You can find Business License Application help here:http:/www.seattle.gov/licenses/get-a-business-license/license-application-help h. Self-Filing You can pay your license and taxes on-line using a credit card www.seattle.gov/self/i. For Questions and Assistance, call the Revenue and Consumer Protection (RCP) office which issues business licenses and enforces licensing requirements. The general e-mail is rca@seattle.gov. The main phone is 206-684-8484. j. The licensing website is http://www.seattle.gov/licenses

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k. If a business has extraordinary balances due on their account that would cause undue hardship to the business, the business can contact the License and Tax Administration office at tax@seattle.gov to request additional assistance. l. Those holding a City of Seattle Business license may be required to report and pay revenue taxes to the City. Such costs should be carefully considered by the Consultant prior to submitting your offer. When allowed by City ordinance, the City will have the right to retain amounts due at the conclusion of a contract by withholding from final invoice payments.

7.12 State Business Licensing.

Before the contract is signed, you must have a State of Washington business license (a “Unified Business Identifier” known as a UBI#). If the State of Washington has exempted your business from State licensing (some foreign companies are exempt and sometimes, the State waives licensing because the company has no physical presence in the State), then submit proof of that exemption to the City. All costs for any licenses, permits and associated tax payments due to the State because of licensing shall be borne by the Consultant and not charged separately to the City. Instructions and applications are at http://bls.dor.wa.gov/file.aspx and the State of Washington Department of Revenue is available at 1-800-647-7706.

7.13 Federal Excise Tax.

The City is exempt from Federal Excise Tax.

7.14 No Guaranteed Utilization.

The City does not guarantee utilization of any contract(s) awarded through this RFP process. The solicitation may provide estimates of utilization; such information is for Consultant convenience and not a usage guarantee. The City reserves the right to issue multiple or partial awards, and/or to order work based on City needs. The City may turn to other appropriate contract sources or supplemental contracts to obtain these same or similar services. The City may re-solicit for new additions to the Consultant pool. Use of such supplemental contracts does not limit the right of the City to terminate existing contracts for convenience or cause.

7.15 Expansion Clause.

The contract limits expansion of scope and new work not expressly provided for within the RFP.

Expansion for New Work (work not specified within the original Scope of Work Section of this Agreement, and/or not specified in the original RFP as intended work for the Agreement) must comply with the following: (a) New Work is not reasonable to solicit separately; (b) is for reasonable purpose; (c) was not reasonably known by the City or Consultant at time of solicitation or was mentioned as a possibility in the solicitation (i.e. future phases of work, or a change in law); (d) is not significant enough to be regarded as an independent body of work; (e) would not attract a different field of competition; and (f) does not change the identity or purpose of the Agreement.

The City may make exceptions for immaterial changes, emergency or sole source conditions, or other situations required in City opinion. Certain changes are not subject to these limitations, such as additional phases of Work anticipated during solicitation, time extensions, and Work Orders issued on an On-Call contract. Expansion must be mutually agreed and issued by the City through written Addenda. New Work performed before an authorizing Amendment may not be eligible for payment.

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The City reserves the right to independently solicit and award any New Work to another firm when deemed appropriate or required by City policy.

7.16 Effective Dates of Offer.Solicitation responses are valid until the City completes award. Should any Proposer object to this condition, the Proposer must object prior to the Q&A deadline on page 1.

7.17 Cost of Preparing Proposals.The City is not liable for costs incurred by the Proposer to prepare, submit and present proposals, interviews and/or demonstrations.

7.18 Readability.

The City’s ability to evaluate proposals is influenced by the organization, detail, comprehensive material and readable format of the response.

7.19 Changes or Corrections to Proposal Submittal.

Prior to the submittal due date, a Consultant may change its proposal, if initialed and dated by the Consultant. No changes are allowed after the closing date and time.

7.20 Errors in Proposals.

Proposers are responsible for errors and omissions in their proposals. No error or omission shall diminish the Proposer’s obligations to the City.

7.21 Withdrawal of Proposal.

A submittal may be withdrawn by written request of the submitter.

7.22 Rejection of Proposals.

The City may reject any or all proposals with no penalty. The City may waive immaterial defects and minor irregularities in any submitted proposal.

7.23 Incorporation of RFP and Proposal in Contract.This RFP and Proposer’s response, including promises, warranties, commitments, and representations made in the successful proposal once accepted by the City, are binding and incorporated by reference in the City’s contract with the Proposer.

7.24 Independent Contractor.

The Consultant works as an independent contractor. The City will provide appropriate contract management, but that does not constitute a supervisory relationship to the consultant. Consultant workers are prohibited from supervising City employees or from direct supervision by a City employee. Prohibited supervision tasks include conducting a City of Seattle Employee Performance Evaluation, preparing and/or approving a City of Seattle timesheet, administering employee discipline, and similar supervisory actions.

Contract workers shall not be given City office space unless expressly provided for below, and in no case shall such space be provided for over 36 months without specific authorization from the City.

The City will not provide space in City offices for performance of this work. Consultants will perform most work from their own office space or the field.

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7.25 Equal Benefits.Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 20.45 (SMC 20.45) requires consideration of whether Proposers provide health and benefits that are the same or equivalent to the domestic partners of employees as to spouses of employees, and of their dependents and family members. The Consultant Questionnaire requested in the Submittal instructions includes materials to designate your equal benefits status.

7.26 Women and Minority Subcontracting.

The Mayor’s Executive Order and City ordinance require the maximum practicable opportunity for successful participation of minority and women-owned subcontracts. All proposers must agree to SMC Chapter 20.42, and seek meaningful subconsultant opportunities with WMBE firms. The City requires a plan for including minority- and women-owned firms, which becomes a material part of the contract. The Plan must be responsive in the opinion of the City, which means a meaningful and successful search and commitments to include WMBE firms for subcontracting work. They City reserves the right to improve the Plan with the winning Consultant before contract execution. Consultants should use selection methods and strategies sufficiently effective for successful WMBE participation. At City request, Consultants must furnish evidence such as copies of agreements with WMBE subconsultants either before contract execution or during contract performance. The winning Consultant must request written approval for changes to the Inclusion Plan once it is agreed upon. This includes changes to goals, subconsultant awards and efforts.

WMBE firms need not be state certified to meet the City's WMBE definition. The City defines WMBE firms as at least 51% (percent) owned by women and/or minority. To be recognized as a WMBE, register on the City’s Online Business Directory. Federally funded transportation projects require a Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) program; for that program, firms must be certified by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprises (OMWBE).

7.27 Insurance Requirements.Any special insurance requirements are provided as an Attachment. If attached, provide proof of insurance and additional insured endorsement policy language to the City before Contract execution. The apparent successful Proposer must promptly provide proof of insurance to the City upon receipt of the notice of intent to award.

Consultants are encouraged to immediately contact their Broker to begin preparation of the required insurance documents, if the Consultant is selected as a finalist. Proposers may elect to provide the requested insurance documents within their Proposal.

7.28 Proprietary Materials.The State of Washington’s Public Records Act (Release/Disclosure of Public Records) Under Washington State Law (reference RCW Chapter 42.56, the Public Records Act) all materials received or created by the City of Seattle are considered public records.  These records include but are not limited to bid or proposal submittals, agreement documents, contract work product, or other bid material. 

The State of Washington’s Public Records Act requires that public records must be promptly disclosed by the City upon request unless that RCW or another Washington State statute specifically exempts records from disclosure.  Exemptions are narrow and explicit and are listed in Washington State Law (Reference RCW 42.56 and RCW 19.108). 

Bidders/proposers must be familiar with the Washington State Public Records Act and the limits of record disclosure exemptions. For more information, visit the Washington State Legislature’s website at http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.56.

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If you have any questions about disclosure of the records you submit with your bid, contact the Procurement Contact named in this document.

Marking Your Records Exempt from Disclosure (Protected, Confidential, or Proprietary)As mentioned above, all City of Seattle offices (“the City”) are required to promptly make public records available upon request.  However, under Washington State Law some records or portions of records are considered legally exempt from disclosure and can be withheld.  A list and description of records identified as exempt by the Public Records Act can be found in RCW 42.56 and RCW 19.108.

If you believe any of the records you are submitting to the City as part of your bid/proposal or contract work products, are exempt from disclosure you can request that they not be released before you receive notification.  To do so you must complete the City Non-Disclosure Request Form (“the Form”) provided by the City (see page 4 on the Consultant Questionnaire) and very clearly and specifically identify each record and the exemption(s) that may apply.  (If you are awarded a City contract, the same exemption designation will carry forward to the contract records.)The City will not withhold materials from disclosure simply because you mark them with a document header or footer, page stamp, or a generic statement that a document is non-disclosable, exempt, confidential, proprietary, or protected.  Do not identify an entire page as exempt unless each sentence is within the exemption scope; instead, identify paragraphs or sentences that meet the specific exemption criteria you cite on the Form.  Only the specific records or portions of records properly listed on the Form will be protected and withheld for notice.  All other records will be considered fully disclosable upon request.

If the City receives a public disclosure request for any records you have properly and specifically listed on the Form, the City will notify you in writing of the request and will postpone disclosure.   While it is not a legal obligation, the City, as a courtesy, will allow you up to ten business days to file a court injunction to prevent the City from releasing the records (reference RCW 42.56.540).  If you fail to obtain a Court order within the ten days, the City may release the documents.

The City will not assert an exemption from disclosure on your behalf.  If you believe a record(s) is exempt from disclosure you are obligated to clearly identify it as such on the Form and submit it with your solicitation.  Should a public record request be submitted to City Purchasing for that record(s), you can then seek an injunction under RCW 42.56 to prevent release.  By submitting a bid document, the bidder acknowledges this obligation; the proposer also acknowledges that the City will have no obligation or liability to the proposer if the records are disclosed.

Requesting Disclosure of Public RecordsThe City asks bidders and their companies to refrain from requesting public disclosure of bids until an intention to award is announced.  This measure is intended to protect the integrity of the solicitation process particularly during the evaluation and selection process or in the event of a cancellation or re-solicitation.  With this preference stated, the City will continue to be responsive to all requests for disclosure of public records as required by State Law.  If you do wish to make a request for records, visit https://www.seattle.gov/public-records/public-records-request-center.

7.29 Ethics Code.

Familiarize yourself with the City Ethics code: http://www.seattle.gov/ethics/etpub/et_home.htm. For an in-depth explanation of the City’s Ethics Code for Contractors, Vendors, Customers and Clients, visit: http://www.seattle.gov/ethics/etpub/faqcontractorexplan.htm. Any questions should be addressed to Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission at 206-684-8500.

No Gifts and Gratuities.

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Consultants shall not directly or indirectly offer anything (such as retainers, loans, entertainment, favors, gifts, tickets, trips, favors, bonuses, donations, special discounts, work, or meals) to any City employee, volunteer or official, if it is intended or may appear to a reasonable person to be intended to obtain or give special consideration to the Consultant. An example of this is giving sporting event tickets to a City employee who is also on the evaluation team of a solicitation to which you submitted or intend to submit. The definition of what a “benefit” would be is broad and could include not only awarding a contract but also the administration of the contract or evaluating contract performance. The rule works both ways, as it also prohibits City employees from soliciting items from Consultants.

Involvement of Current and Former City Employees.The Consultant Questionnaire within your submittal documents prompts you to disclose any current or former City employees, official or volunteer that is working or assisting on solicitation of City business or on completion of an awarded contract. Update that information during the contract.

Contract Workers with over 1,000 Hours.The Ethics Code applies to Consultant workers that perform over 1,000 cumulative hours on any City contract during any 12-month period. Any such employee must abide by the City Ethics Code. The Consultant is to be aware and familiar with the Ethics Code accordingly.

No Conflict of Interest. Consultant (including officer, director, trustee, partner or employee) must not have a business interest or a close family or domestic relationship with any City official, officer or employee who was, is, or will be involved in selection, negotiation, drafting, signing, administration or evaluating Consultant performance. The City shall make sole determination as to compliance.

Campaign Contributions (Initiative Measure No. 122)Elected officials and candidates are prohibited from accepting or soliciting campaign contributions from anyone having at least $250,000 in contracts with the City in the last two years or who has paid at least $5,000 in the last 12 months to lobby the City. See Initiative 122, or call the Ethics Director with questions. For questions about this measure, contact: Polly Grow, Seattle Ethics and Elections, 206-615-1248, or polly.grow@seattle.gov.

7.30 Background Checks and Immigrant Status.

Background checks will not be required for workers that will be performing the work under this contract. The City has strict policies regarding the use of Background checks, criminal checks, immigrant status, and/or religious affiliation for contract workers. The policies are incorporated into the contract and available for viewing on-line at http://www.seattle.gov/city-purchasing-and-contracting/social-equity/background-checks.

8. Response Materials and Submittal.Prepare your response as follows. Use the following format and provide all attachments. Failure to provide all information below on proper forms and in order requested, may cause the City to reject your response.

1. Mandatory - Consultant Questionnaire: Submit the following in your response, even if you sent one in to the City for previous solicitations.http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/FAS/PurchasingAndContracting/Consulting/3ConsultantQuestionnaire.docx

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2. Letter of interest.

3. Proof of Legal Business Name (if applicable):Provide a certificate or documentation from the Secretary of State in which you incorporated that shows your company legal name. Many companies use a “Doing Business As” name or nickname in daily business; the City requires the legal name for your company. When preparing all forms below, use the proper company legal name. Your company’s legal name can be verified through the State Corporation Commission in the state in which you were established, which is often located within the Secretary of State’s Office for each state. For the State of Washington, see http://www.secstate.wa.gov/corps/

4. Mandatory – Minimum Qualifications: Provide a single page that lists each Minimum Qualification, and exactly how you achieve each minimum qualification. Remember that the determination you have achieved all the minimum qualifications is made from this page. The evaluation committee is not obligated to check references or search other materials to make this decision.

5. Mandatory – Consultant Inclusion Plan: You must submit the following in your response.Click on the following link to open the Consultant Inclusion Plan:http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/FAS/PurchasingAndContracting/WMBE/InclusionPlan_ConsultantContracts.docx

6. Mandatory - Proposal Response:

This document details the submittal requirements for your proposal response. The proposal is limited to twenty (20) double sided pages, exclusive of the cover letter and any of the above required mandatory information. Please do not include generic marketing materials which are not directly relevant to the scope of work. The proposal must outline the following:

Consultant team or lead consultant and sub-consultant organization by task(s); Assigned project manager and key task managers with resumes; Experience with similar planning projects and/or project elements; Approach to the project; and Responses to the following questions:

a. What methods would the team use to develop interest in the project and effectively engage underserved populations, new residents, and populations by generations (e.g., Millennials, Boomers, etc.)?

b. What methods would the team use to effectively survey underserved populations, new residents, and populations by generations (e.g., Millennials, Boomers, etc.)?

c. How will the team incorporate Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) strategies into recreation facility and programming scenarios?http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/RSJI/rsji-2015-2017-plan.pdf

d. What factors would the team include in developing recreation facility and programming scenarios to the 2040 horizon year?

7. Mandatory – Cost and Pricing: This project has a firm fixed price not to exceed $200,000. Provide a fully-loaded hourly rate,

including a breakdown of the total number of hours to complete the Work and a firm fixed price based on the Scope of Work and deliverables provided in the solicitation. Costs shall include all direct, indirect and overhead expenses, including travel and lodging expenses

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and any other allowable reimbursable costs incurred by the Consultant to perform the Work.

Do not include contingency or assumptions in your cost proposal. Instead, you may include a separate breakdown for out-of-scope costs, including scope of work, hours and any assumptions for the City to consider in your proposal.

The City may request additional clarification or a breakdown of the hours and costs with the top ranking proposers.

Submittal Checklist.

Your response should be packaged with each of the following. This list assists with quality control before submittal of your final package. Addenda may change this list; check any final instructions:

1. Mandatory – Consultant Questionnaire.2. Mandatory – Proof of Legal Business Name.3. Mandatory – Minimum Qualifications Sheet.4. Mandatory – Consultant Inclusion Plan.5. Mandatory – Proposal Response (see Proposal Response Section, above).6. Mandatory – Cost and Pricing.7. Mandatory – Non-Disclosure Agreement form(s), signed (if applicable).8. Mandatory – Letter of Interest. Consultant may include a Letter of Interest no longer than a single

8.5” x 11” page. It will not be counted in the page limits, evaluation or scoring.9. Mandatory – Organization chart identifying assigned project manager and key task managers.10. Mandatory – Resumes of the project manager and key task managers.

9. Selection Process.9.1 Initial Screening

The City will review responses for responsiveness and responsibility. Those found responsive and responsible based on an initial review shall proceed to Step 2. Equal Benefits, Minimum Qualifications, an Inclusion Plan, satisfactory financial responsibility and other elements are screened in this Step. A significant failure to perform on past City projects may also be considered in determining the responsibility of a firm.

9.2 Proposal Evaluation

The City will evaluate proposals using the criteria below. Responses will be evaluated, scored and ranked.

Evaluation Criteria:Experience & Qualifications 40%Project Approach 45%Inclusion Plan 10%References 5%TOTAL 100%

9.3 Interviews

The City may interview top ranked firms from the proposal evaluation. If interviews are conducted, rankings of firms shall be determined by the City, using the combined results of interviews and

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proposal submittals. Consultants invited to interview are to bring the assigned key person(s) named by the Consultant in the Proposal, and may bring other key personnel named in the Proposal. The Consultant shall not bring individuals who do not work for the Consultant or are not on the project team without advance authorization by the Procurement Contact. If interviews are conducted, they will be worth 15 additional points.

9.4 References

The City may contact one or more references. The City may use references named or not named by the Proposer. The City may also consider the results of performance evaluations issued by the City on past projects.

9.5 Selection

The City shall select the highest ranked Proposer(s) for award including written proposal and the interview (If applicable). The City reserves the right to make a final selection based on the combined results and/or the overall consensus of the Consultant Evaluation Committee.

9.6 Contract Negotiations

The highest ranked Proposer will be asked to bring forward a fee schedule and pricing proposal for negotiation and discussion with the City. The City may negotiate any aspect of the proposal or the solicitation. The City cannot modify contract provisions mandated by Federal, State or City law: Equal Benefits, Audit (Review of Vendor records), WMBE and EEO, Confidentiality, Debarment, or mutual indemnification.

9.7 Right to Award to next ranked Consultant.

If a contract is executed resulting from this solicitation and is terminated within 90-days, the City may return to the solicitation process to award to the next highest ranked responsive Consultant by mutual agreement with such Consultant.  New awards thereafter are also extended this right. 

9.8 Repeat of Evaluation:

If no Consultant is selected at the conclusion of all the steps, the City may return to any step in the process to repeat the evaluation with those proposals active at that step. The City shall then sequentially step through all remaining steps as if conducting a new evaluation process. The City reserves the right to terminate the process if no proposals meet its requirements.

10. Award and Contract Execution. The Procurement Contact will provide timely notice of an intent to award to all Consultants responding to the Solicitation.

10.1 Protests.

Interested parties that wish to protest any aspect of this RFP selection process shall provide written notice to the Procurement Contact. Note the City shall notify Federal Transit Administration if protesting a solicitation for contracts with FTA funds.

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10.2 Protests – City Purchasing and Contracting Services.

The City has rules to govern the rights and obligations of interested parties that desire to submit a complaint or protest to this process. See the City website at http://www.seattle.gov/city-purchasing-and-contracting/solicitation-and-selection-protest-protocols . Interested parties have the obligation to know of and understand these rules, and to seek clarification from the City. Note there are time limits on protests, and submitters have final responsibility to learn of results in sufficient time for such protests to be filed in a timely manner.

10.3 Limited Debriefs.

The City issues results and award decisions to all bidders. The City provides debriefing on a limited basis for the purpose of allowing bidders to understand how they may improve in future bidding opportunities.

10.4 Instructions to the Apparently Successful Consultant(s).

The Apparently Successful Consultant(s) will receive an Intent to Award Letter from the Procurement Contact after award decisions are made by the City. The Letter will include instructions for final submittals due prior to execution of the contract. Once the City has finalized and issued the contract for signature, the Consultant must execute the contract and provide all requested documents within ten (10) business days. This includes attaining a Seattle Business License, payment of associated taxes due, and providing proof of insurance. If the Consultant fails to execute the contract with all documents within the ten (10) day time frame, the City may cancel the award and proceed to the next ranked Consultant, or cancel or reissue this solicitation. Cancellation of an award for failure to execute the Contract as attached may disqualify the firm from future solicitations for this same work.

10.5 Checklist of Requirements Prior to Award.The Consultant(s) should anticipate the Letter will require at least the following. Consultants are encouraged to prepare these documents when possible, to eliminate risks of late compliance. Seattle Business License is current and all taxes due have been paid. State of Washington Business License. Evidence of Insurance (if required) Special Licenses (if any)

10.6 Taxpayer Identification Number and W-9.

Unless the Consultant has already submitted a Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification Request Form (W-9) to the City, the Consultant must execute and submit this form prior to the contract execution date. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf

10.7 Insurance Requirements

No proof of insurance is required. Proof of insurance is required, link to Insurance Transmittal Form below.http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/FAS/PurchasingAndContracting/Consulting/

5InsuranceTransmittalForm.docx

10.8 Standard Consultant Contract Template

Found here: http://wwwqa.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/FAS/PurchasingAndContracting/Consulting/6StandardRosterAgreement.docx

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